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Travis Devaneaux
Cadet (Second Year) Travis Taylor Devaneaux, Starfleet Academy (born July 26, 2380, in Montagne Noire, Reydovan Prime) is the youngest son of Emperor Kieran Devaneaux and his wife Celest, as played in the Star Trek: Revelation storyline. He was created by Joshua Underwood as one of two "original" characters - as in characters not used in other storylines - in July 2006. He is portrayed by James Duval, better known in his role as Frank, the "demonic rabbit", in Donnie Darko. Origins Travis was born shortly after Emperor Kieran solidified his control over the Empire. For years he grew up within the confines of Kieran's Imperial Palace, tormented by his elder brothers, Kieran II and Dominic; Kieran II was his elder by four years, Dominic by two. By the time Kieran II and Dominic were in their teens, they became more focused on their tutelage in the ways of statecraft. In 2394, Dominic was of military age, but - worried over the safety of his father the Emperor - he joined the Palace Guard instead of the Imperial Marine Corps, and Kieran II, the Crown Prince, grew more concerned with the duties of his station rather than tormenting his younger siblings. Bored with court life and wishing to escape the memories of the torments at the hands of his brothers, Travis - on his sixteenth birthday - obtained permission from Kieran to go to Earth and meet with his mother, now a captain in Starfleet. She commanded the starship Moonfire, an Akira-class cruiser that she had received following the decommissioning of her previous command, the starship Bill of Rights (also an Akira). She had gained that command after the death of her commanding officer, Captain Andrew Waverleigh, in 2383. Celest's Death Travis lived with Celest onboard the Moonfire from 2396 right up until the accident in 2402. The Moonfire was testing some kind of impulse engine modification, and Celest had been in the engine room when it overloaded and exploded somewhere near the Mutara Sector. Travis was pressed into service briefly as a stretcher bearer for wounded...but he could not fulfill his duties the moment he saw his mother lying on the ground - the eyepatch, white hair and captain's rank insignia identified her instantly. He went into a near paralysis, locking himself in his quarters the whole time the Moonfire was towed back to Earth. The day after the accident, the Moonfire was brought back to Earth and her XO, Commander Vasily Britanov, asked Travis about the official notification to the Emperor; Travis replied that he would send the message himself...and send it he did. Kieran, of course, was overwhelmed with grief. Along with his sons, the counsel of his friend Joshua Underwood, and the Empire he ruled, Celest had been the center of his life. With Celest's death, his heart had hardened, but only having Underwood as his chief advisor, urging patience and coping with the grief, had prevented him from going into madness. Surprisingly, Travis' greatest counsel came from his brother, Kieran II. The Crown Prince urged his younger brother to take his mother's decision to heart, and in order to escape the nonsense of court politics, he should join Starfleet. Travis gave some thought to it, but did not act on it for several years after the event... Approached By A Friend In 2406, Travis was approached by Jeremiah Ross, the eldest son of Major General Jonathan Ross, to join Starfleet Academy with him. Travis was old for a cadet at 26; however, he accepted the younger Ross' invitation. Kiran Joshmaul, who was planning a run for the Council, sponsored both boys - as did Ross himself, who was planning to return to the Marine Corps. Travis intends to follow in his mother's footsteps and major in Tactical; a contrast to his friend Jeremiah Ross, who intends to join the Marine Corps. Travis, upon his acceptance, was given the first-year cadet's exam along with an engineering trainee named Rosary McLauren. McLauren was a brash, headstrong young woman, who believed that the rules did not apply to her. She was also a trained telepath, which made thinking angrily to himself extremely difficult. The two trainees took an intense dislike of one another, but Travis - being normally a shy and quiet man - found the interaction disturbing. He was horrified that McLauren had disabled the safety protocols in the engineering section of the simulation, and that she had gotten herself hurt. McLauren seemed to seethe with hatred against him. Nonetheless, both passed the first-year exam, though McLauren was placed on probation due to her disabling the safeties. Father's Death Not realizing Kieran was present, Travis bluntly told Kiran Joshmaul - now a Federation Councillor from Earth - that he despised his father, that he would go off on his own without the legacy of his father or brothers. Distraught, Kieran returned to Reydovan Prime where, on August 25, 2406, he committed suicide by hanging himself in his bedchamber. Due to both his dislike of his father and the importance of his studies at Starfleet Academy, Travis refused to attend the funeral or the burial, incurring the ire of his elder brother, the new Emperor Kieran II, and much of the Reydovan leadership. Travis dismisses this, not wishing to associate with any of the Reydovan leaders anyway. However, his decision also earned him the anger of Kiran Joshmaul, who accused the cadet of being selfish and heartless. Travis responded by breaking contact, and now turns to Jonathan Ross - the father of his friend Jeremiah - as his mentor. The Black Rose Travis was approached by his brother Dominic and Reydovan noble August von Spee, Baron of Icecrown Province, to join the Black Rose movement in September 2406. Dominic convinced Travis that their brother, the Emperor, was being manipulated. Though he never had any true love for his father, he had bonded with his elder brother in later years, but the Emperor was being coerced by Neill into believing that Travis was a legitimate threat. While he remains outside of Reydovan politics, he considers Spee a mentor, and gives what support he can. Titles Travis was officially styled as "His Highness Prince Travis", but he refused to be referred to as such even while he officially held that title. After he joined his mother on the Moonfire, he renounced his title of Prince (along with all Imperial titles), but in Imperial records was styled as "Travis, Grand Duke of Montagne Noire". He has never been referred to as such in public. Upon his scorning of his slain father, even that title was taken from him. However, this did not affect Travis in any way; the only title he will take, he has said, is whatever rank is granted to him by Starfleet. Devaneaux, Travis